CRI Online, the multi-language website of China Radio International (CRI), formally launched six more foreign language services today, bringing the total number of language services operated on CRI Online to 59. The six new website editions include Belarusian (belarusian.cri.cn), Dutch (nl.radio86.com), Greek (greek.cri.cn),Hebrew (hebrew.cri.cn), Icelandic (is.radio86.com) and Norwegian (no.radio86.com), CRI president Wang Gengnian told press in Beijing.
The six newly-launched news services are the first of their kind in their own native languages in China, Mr Wang said, adding that they provide information about business, culture and tourism in China, and offer Chinese music and free online Chinese classes, via their multimedia platforms in the form of texts, photos, and audio and video webcasts.
“This is also CRI Online’s latest move in further consolidating its cutting edge in multi-language services and enhancing its capacity in international broadcasts and communication, following its earlier online services launched in Ukrainian and Croatian in 2008,” he said.
CRI Online, officially launched in 1998, offers 59 language services and 18 webcast stations.
(Source: Xinhua)
on Sep 24th, 2009 at 01:57
Icelandic! It’s so surreal. CRI is really one of a kind.
on Sep 24th, 2009 at 15:06
Mark, and this is only the beginning!
on Sep 24th, 2009 at 15:30
Hmmm. Just noticed that Dutch, Icelandic and Norwegian online services are run under the auspices of Radio 86. This is getting confusing. What’s exactly the relation between CRI and Radio 86? Obviously they are financed from the same source. But what about programming and editorial control?
It seems that Radio 86 is a CRI project whose programming is prepared or translated outside of China. Of course, formally Radio 86 is “a subsidiary of FutuVision Media Ltd.” headquartered in Tampere, Finland.
Radio 86 could have been setup for easier access to local stations in N.Europe. Note an impressive list of FM-affiliates in Finland + some other countries: http://www.radio86.co.uk/explore-learn/listen-to-our-radio-programs
CRI AM relay in Finland is hidden under the umbrella of Radio 86, too. Curiously, both Radio 86 and CRI run English and French Services. So there’s some overlap.
More on Radio 86: http://www.radio86.co.uk/about-radio86
on Sep 24th, 2009 at 15:55
The parent company of Radio 86, Futuvision, has a website at http://www.futuvision.com. In the section devoted to Futuvision Media you can find the names and email addresses of the senior staff, who all appear to be Finnish except for Zhao Yinong, the MD. It also says that “Linda Sigurdardottir, Michel Faas and Björn Olstad will be in charge, respectively, of the Icelandic, Dutch and Norwegian content.” I guess they are all bilingual and translate Chinese content into their respective languages. I doubt they have the freedom to produce their own content.
It says, among other things:
“FutuVision Group is composed of three companies in Finland and five affiliates in China. What unites us under the collective name of FutuVision Group is our common mission to serve as a bridge between China and Europe.”
“FutuVision Media is a rapidly growing company with about 20 employees in Finland and several freelancers based around the world.”
Five radio stations are mentioned as partners, but not CRI. I guess that’s further evidence that Radio 86 *is* CRI under another name.
on Sep 24th, 2009 at 17:38
The past job postings on radio86.com didn’t say anything about the Chinese language skills requirement. The ability to move to Tampere, Finland was always mentioned and - sometimes - ‘ability to work in an English-speaking professional environment’. So I guess they are mostly working with English scripts. Each language service seems to be manned with one or two people.
I guess the whole operation can be described as an EU service for new languages.
on Sep 24th, 2009 at 22:02
Same story than with the broadcasts in Estonian and Lithuanian, as we discussed at
http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/china-radio-international-now-relayed-via-finland-on-mediumwave
This also leads to the question if these new language services are really online-only or radio broadcasts will start as well, perhaps even are already on air.
on Sep 25th, 2009 at 01:04
Kai, some job announcements did specify a need for a “good radio voice.” But not all of them. Archive.org is good for checking whom they’ve been hiring and when.
on Sep 25th, 2009 at 03:24
86 is the telephone dialling code for China.
on Sep 25th, 2009 at 03:39
For CRI to do such a move is very political. I would place bets to see how long before CRI is broadcast on domestic AM/FM. I mean really Icelandic, Dutch?
on Sep 25th, 2009 at 08:58
Well, to be fair you can’t compare Icelandic and Dutch. Icelandic is spoken by around 300,000 people, Dutch by 21 million. But that said, people who speak those languages mostly have a very good command of English as a second language.
on Sep 25th, 2009 at 10:29
Kai, re your comment #5 :
The complete schedule of Radio86 broadcasts in all languages is available at http://www.radio86.co.uk/explore-learn/listen-to-our-radio-programs